March 3 — Do you share a first name with one of your female ancestors? Perhaps you were named for your great-grandmother, or your name follows a particular naming pattern. If not, then list the most unique or unusual female first name you’ve come across in your family tree.

Sarah Ann Robinson Worthington Clarke Delzell Carder.

How is that for a name? It would never fit on our standardized forms of today.

The long name has genealogical significance and offers a clue to ancestors. A name to preserve and pass down through the generations. The name is so important that they named their first daughter the EXACT same name. Sadly the first Sarah died as an infant in 1826.

Sarah Ann Robinson Worthington Clarke was born June 22, 1830 in Frederick County, Maryland. The child of Elizabeth Simpson & William Clarke. Her father William, was born in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland on March 25, 1799. Elizabeth Simpson descends from some of the first and finest families in Maryland.

In dissecting I turned first to the Irish naming pattern from her father’s native land. The pattern states that the first daughter is named after the mother’s mother.

So we have a match!

Sarah-maternal grandmothers name (SARAH WORTHINGTON)

Ann – maternal great grandmother was (ANN RIDGELY)

Robinson -(?) A clue that needs researching! I can’t find anywhere in the maternal line so I am assuming it is from the paternal line.

Worthington – Grandmother’s last name – (SARAH WORTHINGTON)

Delzell – She married Robert Delzell in Frederick County, MD 15 Feb 1848.

Carder – She married John F. Carder 18 Oct 1855

A long name indeed and a very interesting naming pattern filled with genealogical significance.

I am looking for clues in this name – Sarah Ann Robinson Worthington Clarke – Can you help me solve this?”

The first Sarah Ann Robinson Worthington Clarke was born on April 15, 1826 and died May 5th of the same year. The second Sarah Ann Robinson Worthington Clarke was born June 22, 1830 in Frederick County, Maryland. The child of Elizabeth Simpson & William Clarke. Her father William, was born in Newtownards, County Down, Ireland on March 25, 1799. I assume that William carried on the Irish naming pattern from his native land. The pattern states that the first daughter is named after the mother’s mother. Interestingly enough they used the exact same name for daughter one and two.

SO I will now try to dissect the name to come up with clues

Sarah – This is easy and matches the naming pattern – Sarah is her maternal grandmothers name.

Ann – Her maternal great grandmother was Anne Ridgely – maybe after her?

Robinson – Not sure who this is

Worthington – This is her grandmother’s last name – Sarah Worthington

So I know where Sarah and Worthington come from. I think I know where Ann comes from, but what about Robinson? I have traced her maternal line back to the 1600′s with no mention of Robinson. Do you think Robinson or Ann Robinson could have been the name of her paternal grandmother?